Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies missed his first game in 117 in Monday night’s 11-3 win over the Yankees, but there will be more DNPs to come.
Postgame, manager Brian Snitker said Albies would be placed on the injured list. While Snitker did not go into specifics, he said it would be more than a day-to-day injury.
Albies hurt his hamstring on Sunday in New York, and was removed from the game as a precaution. He was held out Monday when he woke up feeling tight, and tests done during the game showed the injury.
In his place at second base, the Braves started Nicky Lopez, who went 3-for-4 with a run and three RBIs. He’s batting .700 in his first four games with the Braves.
Albies is in the middle of an excellent year. He’s batting .267 with 28 home runs and 90 RBIs. His RBI total is second in the major leagues, only trailing teammate Matt Olson. Both marks are near his career-high, only trailing 2021 (30 home runs, 106 RBIs).
With Albies sidelined, Lopez will see more time at second base. He said postgame that he knows his role as a backup utility infielder is to be ready whenever the team needs him, and he’ll be needed as Albies recovers.
“Our team is better with him on the field,” Lopez said. “He’s a special player, so he needs to get healthy. … If what I’m called upon to do is to hold down the fort until (he’s healthy), that’s what I’m gonna do.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Snitker said that the team would call up another infielder from Triple-A. Vaughn Grissom is the likely candidate, as the 22-year old middle infielder was called upon when Albies was injured last season. Grissom is currently on a 36-game on-base streak at Gwinnett, and he batted .277 in 19 games with the Braves earlier this year.
Losing Albies is a blow for the Braves, but not an insurmountable one. The team has a capable replacement in Lopez (and Grissom, assuming he’s called up). While losing an All-Star hurts in the short term, the Braves have enough depth to avoid a hiccup and a large-enough division lead (11 1/2 games) to manage.
Of course, the Braves won 11-3 in their first game without Albies. If that’s a sign of what’s to come, they’ll be fine.
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